Jason Anello on Hosting an Annual Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner Party

In Chapter 4 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, creative director and marketing agency co-founder Jason Anello answers "What Have You Learned from Your Experience Hosting an Annual Thanksgiving Dinner Party With Friends?" Anello shares how hosting a potluck dinner party for friends every Thanksgiving - Thanksbringing - has allowed him to experiment with different types of food and ways to cook turkey. Consistently hosting every year has also given him a lens to see how his friendships are evolving, including new faces of friends and babies, and what that has meant in his life.

Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at Manifold Partners, an award-winning marketing agency. Previously, Anello worked in creative leadership roles at Yahoo!, Ogilvy & Mather, and Digitas. Passionate about food, friendship and travel, Anello also runs the Forking Tasty food blog. He earned a BFA from University at Albany. 

Cathy Erway on Testing Cookbook Recipes by Hosting Dinner Parties

In Chapter 6 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and food writer Cathy Erway answers "What Process Did You Use to Develop and Test the Recipes for Your Cookbook?" Erway shares how she added fun into the trial and error equation developing her cookbook recipes. She hosts a series of ten dinners, cooking ten dishes per dinner to cover the 100 recipe options for her cookbook. Erway gets feedback from dinner party attendees she uses to practice, refine and edit recipes.

Cathy Erway is an author, food writer, freelance copywriter, radio show host and teacher focused on healthy food advocacy. Her second book, "The Food of Taiwan: Recipes From the Beautiful Island" is a cookbook featuring Taiwanese recipes ranging from homestyle dishes to street food favorites. Her first book, "The Art of Eating In" developed from her blog "Not Eating Out in New York".  Erway earned a BA in creative writing from Emerson College. 

Cathy Erway on How to Measure Quality of Relationships in Life

In Chapter 16 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and food writer Cathy Erway answers "How Do You Measure the Quality of Relationships in Your Life?" For Erway, measuring quality of relationships at work and in her personal life comes down to having mutual respect for one another. With respect comes ways to appreciate, enjoy and love each other and spend more fun and rewarding time together.

Cathy Erway is an author, food writer, freelance copywriter, radio show host and teacher focused on healthy food advocacy. Her second book, "The Food of Taiwan: Recipes From the Beautiful Island" is a cookbook featuring Taiwanese recipes ranging from homestyle dishes to street food favorites. Her first book, "The Art of Eating In" developed from her blog "Not Eating Out in New York".  Erway earned a BA in creative writing from Emerson College. 

Cathy Erway on Identifying Sources of Strength and Struggle

In Chapter 20 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, author and food writer Cathy Erway answers "At This Moment in Time, What are the Sources of Strength and Struggle in Your Life?" Erway shares how friends and family have been sources of strength for her. She shares how her family has come together in unexpected ways to encourage her while she writes her cookbook on Taiwanese food. Erway shares how it can be difficult to adapt to the many changes that come with freelance writing project work and how she is working on balancing change and consistency.

Cathy Erway is an author, food writer, freelance copywriter, radio show host and teacher focused on healthy food advocacy. Her second book, "The Food of Taiwan: Recipes From the Beautiful Island" is a cookbook featuring Taiwanese recipes ranging from homestyle dishes to street food favorites. Her first book, "The Art of Eating In" developed from her blog "Not Eating Out in New York".  Erway earned a BA in creative writing from Emerson College. 

Phil McKenzie on How to Measure the Quality of Relationships in Life

In Chapter 2 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "How Do You Measure the Quality of Relationships in Your Life?" McKenzie shares how he stays away from assessing relationships based on tit-for-tat gestures. Instead, he goes with his gut feeling to assess whether or not he has felt validated in the relationship. This helps him determine the health of the relationship, which then leads to him deciding what action, if any, to take around growing or repairing the relationship.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Phil McKenzie on Identifying Sources of Strength and Struggle

In Chapter 20 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Phil McKenzie answers "At This Moment in Time, What Are the Sources of Strength and Struggle in Your Life?" McKenzie shares how friends give him strength by giving him a space of nonjudgment. He struggles with not having enough time and making sure to do the things that keep him physically and mentally healthy such as going to the gym, doing yoga, and practicing meditation.

Philip L. McKenzie is the Founder of Influencer Conference, a global content platform that brings together tastemakers in the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology to discuss influencer culture. Previously, he led an influencer marketing agency and was an equities trader at Goldman, Sachs & Co. He earned an MBA from Duke University and a BBA from Howard University.

Jullien Gordon on Committing to Longer-Term Customer Relationships

In Chapter 13 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, business coach and public speaker Jullien Gordon answers "How Are Progressively Longer-Term Relationships Changing the Way You Do Business?" Gordon shares how he focuses on fewer relationships with deeper impact where he can not just touch lives but transform them. Gordon references "1,000 True Fans", a book about building a loyal fan base, and how he uses that philosophy to develop his own core audience and serve their needs as a coach, consultant and speaker.

Jullien Gordon is a business coach and consultant to organizations, individuals and teams who want to increase performance, motivation, engagement and retention. Gordon is also a public speaker on career planning for colleges, conferences, and corporations. He earned a BA from UCLA and MBA and M. Ed degrees from Stanford University. 

Matt Curtis on How to Measure the Quality of Relationships in Your Life

In Chapter 4 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Matt Curtis answers "How Do You Measure the Quality of Relationships in Your Life?" Curtis shares how watching The Godfather and hearing Don Corleone say to his son Michael, "It wasn't enough time, Michael. It wasn't enough time"made him think about friendship. Curtis finds relationship strength is about surrounding yourself with good people who are loyal and who you feel loyalty toward. From that he is able to gauge the depth of relationship he has and wants to continue building.

Matt Curtis is the director of government relations at HomeAway Inc. Previously he was deputy to Austin mayors Lee Leffingwell and Will Wynn. He has represented the City of Austin at the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities. In 2011, Curtis joined the Harvard Kennedy School Urban Policy Advisory Board to work on national best practices facing American cities. He earned his bachelor's degree in radio, television and film from the University of North Texas. 

Matt Curtis on How Great Advocates Can Advance Your Career

In Chapter 12 of 20 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, Matt Curtis answers "What Role Have Advocate and Sponsor Relatioships Played in Your Development?" Curtis shares how he has been fortunate to have not only great friends and mentors but also great advocates. He finds advocates help by taking initiative to open doors for opportunities that might otherwise be closed. This type of sponsor relationship boosts Curtis' confidence and fuels his desire to pay it forward and give back as an advocate.

Matt Curtis is the director of government relations at HomeAway Inc. Previously he was deputy to Austin mayors Lee Leffingwell and Will Wynn. He has represented the City of Austin at the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities. In 2011, Curtis joined the Harvard Kennedy School Urban Policy Advisory Board to work on national best practices facing American cities. He earned his bachelor's degree in radio, television and film from the University of North Texas. 

Audrey French on The Best Advice to Prepare Yourself for Parenthood

In Chapter 2 of 21 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, new mother Audrey Parker French answers "How Did You Go About Seeking Advice as You Prepared for Parenthood?" French shares how after doing a lot of research she finds the best advice simply observing her best friend and how she raises her three children.

Audrey Parker French is a new mother living with her husband and son in Austin, Texas. Before leaving work to focus on family, French co-founded CLEAResult, an energy management consulting firm she helped grow to #144 on the 2010 Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies and then sell to General Catalyst Partners. She graduated from Wake Forest University. 

Courtney Spence on Why to Find a Sponsor for Your Career

In Chapter 8 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, nonprofit CEO Courtney Spence answers "What Role Have Advocate and Sponsor Relationships Played in Your Development?" Spence shares how sponsor and advocate relationships go above and beyond giving advice and have helped her through difficult times on her career journey. She notes that it is important to respect sponsors for the time they give you as well as to continually look for sponsors who are willing to help you grow your career.

Courtney Spence is founder and CEO of Students of the World, a nonprofit empowering a diverse network of student and emerging filmmakers to apply storytelling skills in purposeful work. She is also the Founder and CEO of CSpence group, a creative agency building millennial-focused content and programs for brands. Spence earned a BA from Duke University. 

Courtney Spence on How to Value a Relationship

In Chapter 19 of 20 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, nonprofit CEO Courtney Spence answers "How Do You Measure the Quality of Relationships in Your Life?" Spence shares how she measures the quality of relationship in her life by the trust and loyalty she sees in others. She finds trust is about not breaking your word or commitment. As far as loyalty goes, she finds it comes down to what Coach Royal said, "Dance with the one that brung you."

Courtney Spence is founder and CEO of Students of the World, a nonprofit empowering a diverse network of student and emerging filmmakers to apply storytelling skills in purposeful work. She is also the Founder and CEO of CSpence group, a creative agency building millennial-focused content and programs for brands. Spence earned a BA from Duke University. 

Hattie Elliot on Staying True to Your Customers as You Grow a Business

In Chapter 11 of 15 in her 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, entrepreneur Hattie Elliot answers "What New Challenges Are You Facing as You Grow Your Business?" As Elliot expands her business by taking on investment and expanding into new events and trips, she learns the importance of staying true to her clientele. To do this it is about maintaining a level of quality service in her offerings while also being considerate of evolving tastes that come with getting older.

Hattie Grace Elliot is the founder and CEO of The Grace List, a social networking company that creates destination events and experiences to forge lasting personal and professional connections across its young professional members. Elliot graduated from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, where she studied economics, philosophy, and politics.

Matt Ruby on How to Build an Online Community for a Web Series

In Chapter 16 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian and Vooza founder Matt Ruby answers "What Has Your Experience Developing Vooza Taught You About Building an Online Community?" Ruby finds two things are key to building audience relationships: having a consistent frequency of contact and staying open and approachable to communicating with his audience. The challenge with these online marketing initiatives is to find the time for them amidst the many other parts of the business.

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian based in New York City. He also founded Vooza, on online comic strip web series that makes fun of tech startup culture. As an actor, director, writer and producer, Ruby leads the creative direction for the team. Before his comedy career, Matt was employee #1 at 37Signals. He graduated from Northwestern University. 

Matt Ruby on How to Improve a Web Series Business Model

In Chapter 19 of 19 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian and Vooza founder Matt Ruby answers "How is Your Company Business Model Evolving as You Gain Experience?" Ruby finds he is evolving his business model by simplifying it. He reduces the number of options he offers potential clients so when writing a one-page proposal, it is even more clear what the client gets and how much it costs. As the company grows, Ruby and his team experiment with viewer subscription options to complement advertiser revenue streams.

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian based in New York City. He also founded Vooza, on online comic strip web series that makes fun of tech startup culture. As an actor, director, writer and producer, Ruby leads the creative direction for the team. Before his comedy career, Matt was employee #1 at 37Signals. He graduated from Northwestern University. 

Finding Meaningful Work in Elementary Education

In Chapter 2 of 22 in his 2014 Capture Your Flag interview, elementary charter school network CEO Preston Smith answers "What Makes Your Work Meaningful?" Smith shares how he gets fulfillment helping kids and families come together around a shared education purpose. Teaching elementary school creates lifetime bonds between Smith, his students and their families serve to constantly remind him of the bigger mission in his work long after he has left the classroom teaching for a CEO job.

Preston Smith is co-founder and CEO of Rocketship Education, the highest performing low-income school system in California. After graduating the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith joined Teach for America. After three years teaching 1st Grade, he founded a district school in San Jose and became its principal. Smith was selected as a member of the 2010 class of Aspen Institute New Schools Fellows.

Simon Sinek on Building Trusting Teams in the US Marine Corps

In Chapter 7 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, author and public speaker Simon Sinek answers "What Has the United States Marine Corps Taught You About How a Circle of Safety Motivates Staff?" Sinek shares what Marine Corps basic training has taught him about leading teams more effectively. The United States Marine Corps breaks down the individual and trains them to be interdependent on their fellow Marines. This creates a circle of safety bond of trust that allows Marines to increase team performance in the most difficult situations. Simon Sinek teaches leaders and organizations how to inspire people. Sinek is the author of two books, "Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Come Together and Others Don't" and "Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action". He is a public speaker, an adjunct professor at Columbia University and a Brandeis University graduate.

Simon Sinek on Building Trust Through Committed Leadership

In Chapter 8 of 23 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, author and public speaker Simon Sinek answers "Why is Trust a Leadership Skill That Should Be Taught?" Sinek shares that because trust is a feeling like loyalty, it is difficult to teach. Over time, however, by creating a circle of safety, Sinek shares ways committed leaders can create inclusive cultures at work that prioritize inclusion, openness, and safety. He shares an example of Goldman Sachs and how over 30 years its culture has shifted from the "Boy Scouts of Wall Street" and collaborative to something more individualist and self-centered. Simon Sinek teaches leaders and organizations how to inspire people. Sinek is the author of two books, "Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Come Together and Others Don't" and "Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action". He is a public speaker, an adjunct professor at Columbia University and a Brandeis University graduate.